French President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday that French citizens with dual Franco-Israeli citizenship are "children of France" and that you should never accuse them of being genocidal.
He spoke to Radio J, a station that deals with Jewish community issues, emphasizing that the fight against anti-Semitism is a battle of the Republic.
Macron said that it is unacceptable for any French person to be called genocidal, as this is a misinterpretation of the values that France defends.
Speaking about the current situation, he alluded to some pro-Palestine activists and left-wing political figures in France, who, according to him, have used debates on international cases to dehumanize and stereotype fellow Jewish citizens.
Macron's comments come after French authorities on February 3 issued warrants for two Franco-Israeli citizens for "complicity in genocide" over allegations they attempted to block humanitarian aid from reaching the Gaza Strip during the conflict there. The warrants require the individuals to appear before an investigating judge but do not provide for their arrest.
In response to Macron, Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on Palestine, criticized his comments, writing that one should not label someone as criminal or genocidal solely because of nationality and that courts should decide this based on the facts. /Telegraph/
